California earthquakes

M3.0 earthquake 20 km S of Avenal, California

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 20 km S of Avenal, California on Tue, May 19, 1981, 3:33 AM PDT (10:33 UTC), 12 km (8 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M3.5 22 km W of Three Rocks, California. This one was a foreshock.

Avenal forecastMore in California

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
3.0 (md), minor
Local time
UTC
1981-05-19 10:33:10 UTC
Depth
12.4 km (7.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter
35.823° N, 120.113° W
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 1.5 km horizontally, 0.6 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.10
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
250°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
25

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 59 in the 60 days after this one and 28 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.618km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16562 days ago · 5 km deep · 15 km away
  2. 1.620 km S of Kettleman City, California · 16562 days ago · 2 km deep · 11 km away
  3. 2.523 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16562 days ago · 16 km deep · 6 km away
  4. 1.929km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16562 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  5. 2.214km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16562 days ago · 5 km deep · 16 km away
  6. 1.516km S of Avenal, CA · 16562 days ago · 5 km deep · 5 km away
  7. 2.321 km S of Avenal, California · 16562 days ago · 9 km deep · 4 km away
  8. 2.11 km NNE of Atascadero, California · 16561 days ago · 9 km deep · 61 km away
  9. 2.06 km SSE of Parkfield, CA · 16557 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  10. 1.96 km SSE of Parkfield, CA · 16557 days ago · 4 km deep · 26 km away
  11. 2.620 km S of Kettleman City, California · 16554 days ago · 9 km deep · 12 km away
  12. 2.132 km NW of Coalinga, California · 16552 days ago · 14 km deep · 72 km away
  13. 2.112 km NW of Huron, California · 16552 days ago · 19 km deep · 52 km away
  14. 1.624 km NE of King City, California · 16551 days ago · 5 km deep · 96 km away
  15. 1.622 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16551 days ago · 9 km deep · 78 km away
  16. 1.612 km W of Avenal, California · 16549 days ago · 8 km deep · 25 km away
  17. 1.618 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16543 days ago · 4 km deep · 47 km away
  18. 1.715km SW of Rosedale, CA · 16543 days ago · 5 km deep · 98 km away
  19. 2.219 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16542 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  20. 1.530 km WNW of Three Rocks, California · 16541 days ago · 4 km deep · 99 km away
  21. 2.723 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16540 days ago · 10 km deep · 84 km away
  22. 1.55 km SSE of Cambria, California · 16539 days ago · 0 km deep · 93 km away
  23. 2.319km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  24. 2.316 km S of Kettleman City, California · 16539 days ago · 9 km deep · 14 km away
  25. 2.023km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 22 km away
  26. 3.019km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  27. 2.035km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 28 km away
  28. 2.07km S of Kettleman City, CA · 16539 days ago · 5 km deep · 18 km away
  29. 2.611 km W of Huron, California · 16538 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  30. 1.91 km WNW of Parkfield, California · 16531 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  31. 2.21 km WNW of Parkfield, California · 16531 days ago · 5 km deep · 32 km away
  32. 3.06 km NE of Cambria, California · 16531 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  33. 2.76 km NE of Cambria, California · 16531 days ago · 4 km deep · 86 km away
  34. 1.510 km WNW of Lemoore Station, California · 16531 days ago · 10 km deep · 53 km away
  35. 1.98km N of Rosedale, CA · 16528 days ago · 4 km deep · 96 km away
  36. 1.97 km NW of Huron, California · 16527 days ago · 18 km deep · 48 km away
  37. 2.133 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16527 days ago · 8 km deep · 73 km away
  38. 3.522 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16526 days ago · 11 km deep · 89 km away
  39. 1.722 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16525 days ago · 3 km deep · 51 km away
  40. 2.120 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 16523 days ago · 14 km deep · 9 km away
  41. 2.115km SSE of Kettleman City, CA · 16519 days ago · 5 km deep · 23 km away
  42. 1.86km SSW of Kettleman City, CA · 16518 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  43. 1.723 km ENE of King City, California · 16517 days ago · 4 km deep · 91 km away
  44. 2.012 km ENE of Coalinga, California · 16517 days ago · 9 km deep · 43 km away
  45. 1.623 km ENE of San Lucas, California · 16513 days ago · 4 km deep · 78 km away
  46. 1.623 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16512 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  47. 1.95 km WNW of San Luis Obispo, California · 16512 days ago · 2 km deep · 80 km away
  48. 1.524 km NE of King City, California · 16510 days ago · 3 km deep · 97 km away
  49. 1.721 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16509 days ago · 5 km deep · 90 km away
  50. 1.910 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16508 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  51. 1.624 km ENE of San Ardo, California · 16508 days ago · 7 km deep · 58 km away
  52. 1.87 km WSW of San Ardo, California · 16507 days ago · 12 km deep · 81 km away
  53. 2.414km NE of Parkfield, CA · 16507 days ago · 5 km deep · 24 km away
  54. 1.612 km NNE of Cambria, California · 16505 days ago · 6 km deep · 84 km away
  55. 2.87 km WSW of San Ardo, California · 16504 days ago · 15 km deep · 81 km away
  56. 1.62 km ESE of San Ardo, California · 16504 days ago · 8 km deep · 72 km away
  57. 1.923 km NE of San Ardo, California · 16504 days ago · 7 km deep · 71 km away
  58. 1.67 km SSW of San Lucas, California · 16504 days ago · 10 km deep · 88 km away
  59. 1.831 km WNW of Coalinga, California · 16503 days ago · 16 km deep · 71 km away

Before

  1. 2.921 km SSE of Avenal, California · 16563 days ago · 12 km deep · 6 km away
  2. 2.218 km SSW of Kettleman City, California · 16563 days ago · 16 km deep · 9 km away
  3. 1.725 km SW of Three Rocks, California · 16565 days ago · 14 km deep · 67 km away
  4. 3.013 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16565 days ago · 10 km deep · 21 km away
  5. 2.115 km E of Kettleman City, California · 16567 days ago · 8 km deep · 34 km away
  6. 2.25 km SSE of Parkfield, California · 16567 days ago · 5 km deep · 26 km away
  7. 2.18 km W of Huron, California · 16569 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  8. 2.023 km NE of King City, California · 16569 days ago · 7 km deep · 97 km away
  9. 1.619 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16572 days ago · 4 km deep · 48 km away
  10. 1.624 km WSW of Coalinga, California · 16572 days ago · 5 km deep · 53 km away
  11. 2.223 km W of Three Rocks, California · 16574 days ago · 8 km deep · 91 km away
  12. 1.912 km SW of Cayucos, California · 16574 days ago · 19 km deep · 94 km away
  13. 1.66km ENE of Buttonwillow, CA · 16576 days ago · 20 km deep · 78 km away
  14. 1.52 km SE of San Ardo, California · 16576 days ago · 11 km deep · 73 km away
  15. 1.723 km NNE of San Lucas, California · 16578 days ago · 5 km deep · 89 km away
  16. 1.614 km SE of Parkfield, California · 16581 days ago · 9 km deep · 21 km away
  17. 2.012km NNE of Taft, CA · 16582 days ago · 14 km deep · 91 km away
  18. 2.110 km W of Huron, California · 16583 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  19. 2.023 km NW of Parkfield, California · 16586 days ago · 3 km deep · 52 km away
  20. 1.730 km NE of San Lucas, California · 16586 days ago · 9 km deep · 82 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event nc1063782 (also filed as ci516310). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:27 PM UTC.